News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-20

| 4CAAOh-ClCIhSs
The chief man in Turin, so far a
Hodgson, Dunford, and Parr were con
cerned, was certain Count Marsoni
The Counts nobility did not prevent hi
being the principal member of a larg
firm of merchants and shipowners. T
cultivate this man was, indeed, the chic
reason of Mr.. Hodgsons journey t
Turin; and, as the old banker kney
very well how 20 lay aside his crust
and pompous manner when it suited hi
book to do so, he soon came.to be a no
unfrequent guest at the Villa Marsoni.
Mr.. Hodgson began to see that ther,
was very fair opening for an Englisf
| bank at Turin, and he was still engaged
in pushing his way here and there, wher
he received news that his wife was seri
ously ill. This made him hurry off tc
England, leaving Mathers behind him tc
! complete transaction which he had al
ready practically arranged.
Delighted at being left to represent
the firm, for ever so short time, and
ever so formal a matter, Mathers was
pacing one day down the principal
street of the city with look of consid
cradle importance on his face when he
met Count Marsoni. The count stopped
and asked after the old banker. when
Tommy proudly informed him that he
had returned to England, leaving him in
charge Of the affairs of the firm.
''Ah, indeed! Well, there's a little
matter / wanted to speak of to him."
Il shall be happy to serve you, Count, y
said Tommy in his very best Italian.
''Well, suppose you dine with us to.
night, and we can talk it over after din
ner," returned the Count, who thought
he ought to show a little attention to
the lonely Englishman.
Of course the invitation was accepted.
and Tommy had no sooner entered the
| drawing-room at the Villa Marsoni than
| he lost his heart at once, irrevocably and
| forever. Maria Marsoni was, indeed,
| beautiful and viyacious enough to have
| turned the head of a wiser and colder
blooded man than Tommy Mathers; and
so ready was he to amuse her by his
efforts to speak s>sanguage that he par
| TALLY knew, that he won more favor in
the maiden's eyes than many a more
brilliant talker would have done. Such
an impression, indeed, did the signor-
mas bright eyes make upon Tommy s
! suscepti lie heart that he was barely able
to give due attention to the Count,
when, after dinner, he began to talk of
bills, discounts, mortgages, and deben-
lures.
Time went on; Mr.. Hodgson did not
return to Turin, and Mr.. Mathers paid
several visits to the Counts residence,
coming away more in love every time
Meanwhile, by dint of going about con-
tinually among the citizens, the young
man was able to send home so good a
list of prospective customers that the
partners determined to establish branch
office at Turin, and offer young Mathers
a subordinate post in it.
Nothing definite, however, had been
fixed, when one day Tommy finding
Maria Marsoni alone when he called at
the villa, lost his head completely, and
was making love as well as his imper-
feet knowledge of Italian permitted,
when the Count. suddenly coming in,
caught him in the act of kissing his
daughters hand.
Maria fed like a hare disturbed on
her form, and the Count advanced with
heavy frown on his aristocratic brow.
More as a matter of form than any
thing else, for he knew his case was
hopeless, Mathers formally asked the
hand of the signorina in marriage, lay
ing the blame of his irregular declara-
tion on the strength of his passion and
his ignorance of Italian etiquette.
The Count heard him to the end, and
then surveyed him from head to foot
with look of contempt.
sit is piece of gross presumption in
you-a mere clerk, a nobody-to ad-
dress my daughter" SAID the Count at
last in English, with his chin in the air
''Of course" SAID Tommy bitterly,
stung by the Counts look. 'If l were
a partner in Hodgson's, though, you
would give me different answer"
''f you were a partner in Messrs.
Hodgson: Dunford and PARIS, " said the
Count, with an altered expression, "that
would make difference of course; but
as do not understand that you have any
prospect of entering that firm, don't
see how that affects you"
Tommy sighed, and made his escape
as soon as possible. He knew hat he
might as well ask for the Lord ChanceI-
lorship as ask for partnership in the
| bank.
For two days he remained in a state
of collapse and then he received adv1ces
from london informing him of the de-
cision to which the firm had come with
respect to the new branch. A few
months before Mathers would have been
transported with delight at the proposal
| which the firm made to him; but now
he considered that he was getting barely
his due, and, besides, he was cut up
with respect to the beautiful Maria that
mere CONNER cial matters did not possess
their usual interest for him.
Suddenly, as he sat with the open let
ter bearing the well-known signature
before him, Tommy conceived an idea.
Without a moments delay he called
for his bill at the hotel, sent a waiter
for a cab, and took the first train north
ward. He arrived at Victoria early in
the morning, went to a hotel, washed
and dressed himself, and, purposely de
! laying until the partners should have
reached the Office in st. Swithins Lane,
he presented himself before his employ
ers as they were engaged In discussing
the mornings letters.
-'Hollo, sirl" cried Mr.. Hodgson, as
he caught sight of the young man.
'What are you doing here2 Anything
wrongW
,'.Nothing is wrong that know OF,
sir, said the young man, coolly.
"Then why are you here without
leave2'' asked the junior partner. ''Didn't
you get our letter informing you of our
new arrangeme nts?"
81 did, Mr.. Parr. It is in consequence
of that letter that / am here This
was said with considerable gravity, and
Tommy helped himself to II chair as he
| spoke. II am afraid, sir, " he continued,
that I cannot accept the situation yor
were good enough to offer me at Turi D.
'Don't, them" burst out old Mr.
Hodgson, in great wrath at the tone
which the young man was assuming
'sWe'Il find fifty clerks ready to jump a
it-fve hundred, for that matter.
''You forget. SIR" said Tommy, re
spectfully but firmly, 'that l have beer
at Turin for some time. | know tht
business there; and what 7 came here t.
propose was that should have a small
share in the firm
Mr.. Parr stared and calculated
"What, sir2"
Mr.. Dunford laughed aloud and theI
swore.
Mr.. Hodgson choked and gasped TO.
breath. If a shell had burst IN tn
room it could not have occasioned NOR
surprise than Tommy's modest request
If the sweeper at the next crossing hat
demanded to be allowed to help himsel
from the drawers under the counter. i
would not have seemed so absurd as thi
demand of the junior clerks.
"Of course, having no capital, [ ex
pect only a very small share in th
h,nsiness . continued InmmH. .lnnt Enl